A Slytherin's Word
by you know who chan
Summary: Severus Snape returns to Hogwarts after HBP and talks to a very unusual spirit…NOT OC! Oneshot


Summary: Severus Snape returns to Hogwarts after HBP and talks to a very unusual spirit…NOT OC! One-shot

A Slytherin's Word

Severus pulled his hood tighter, his pale, spidery fingers whitening from his grip. A person (a woman, judging from the petite form) ran across the street, quickly disappearing from view. Severus was glad, the sound of the door slamming shut echoed around the quiet town, leaving him as the sole occupant of the street once more.

One might wonder where Severus was; in fact Severus himself was wondering very much the same thing. No, he had not apparited into some random location by some strange accident; he was, contour to belief, in Hogsmeade. Although the basic structure was the same as it had been a few months ago, that was all that seemed the same.

It was July, only a few months after the death of Dumbledore—a few months after Severus betrayed his only allies—the closest thing he had ever had to friends. The only all-wizarding settlement in Britain had once been a bustling center of activity, people were always moving about and delicious smells waffled in the air from the various shops and houses. But not anymore. Even after that mangy mutt Black escaped people tried to act normal, at night the town because silent, but other then that it stayed normal.

Now all the doors and windows were locked, shut muggle and wizard style. If someone had to leave their house they put their hood up and ran to where ever that had to go. No one had any more noise then they had too, and used few candles to light their homes. Streets and the outsides of buildings were dirty and plants were overgrown.

Severus' eyes traveled over Honeydukes as he walked by it. On Hogsmeade visits from his childhood he would stay away, only to sneak in later to buy some of the delicious sweets they had. He knew there was a passage in the cellar that led into Hogwarts, although from what he remembered it had been very tiny.

There were vines growing on the outside of the building now, the windows boarded up. Severus looked away as he continued down the street. His dark eyes stared at the ground, unable to look at that loomed over the town.

He soon reached the edge of Hogsmeade, the small train station with only one platform looking dusty. He walked by it, memories flooding into his mind. He started up the well-warn path, still making sure to keep his eyes off the castle ahead.

The wards around Hogwarts were still there, but he was unsure if they still worked or not. The ancient wards would still be there, the ones as old as the as castle itself, set in place by the founders themselves. But the ones Dumbledore set—no, they had been taken down on that- the night-well, that terrible night.

He took out his wand and held it in front of his, light tapping the wards.

"_Enter, for Hogwarts welcomes you._"

The wind whistled by as blue, yellow, red, and green ripples started from when his wand had touched, spreading to create a large hold in the wards.

Severus was, to say the least, surprised. He had expected to have to fight his way through, maybe not be allowed in at all. He knew a number of ward-breaking spells and had been prepared to use all of them. But to just be _let_ in? Something was up…something _had_ to be up.

Regardless of his suspicions, Severus went in.

He went up the path as the wards closed behind him, the night air cool for July. When he finally reached the large oak doors he stopped. The wards had let him in, but would Hogwarts herself open the doors to the one who betrayed her? His hand shook as he pressed on the door. They didn't budge. Severus used his wand this time, tracing it down the dark spot that separated the doors, muttering incantations as he did so. As he went down there were various unlocking sounds that stopped when his wand touched the ground. When he pushed again, the doors swung inwards, making loud creaking noises as if they hadn't been opened in years.

It was depressing.

Severus pulled his hood back as he stepped inside, as he moved enough inwards the doors closed magically behind him. "_Incendo_" Severus said, flicking his wand down the corridor to his right. The candles burst into flame, the first two causing a chain reaction as far as he could see. It was then that Severus realized that it was the corridor that led down into the dungeons. How funny fate was that he would automatically go that way. Well, Severus had never done well going against fate, so he decided to go down to where he had spent seven years of his life –The Slytherin Common Room.

"Homme Mort" Severus said as he tapped his wand on the stone marking with a small, barely noticeable, snake carving. He had come this far, so what where the odds that the password had been changed? The stones moved apart, revealing the Slytherin common in all its ancient glory.

As he stepped in, the many round, green lambs that hung from the ceiling lit up, filling the room. It looked just the same as it always had, the -- Severus' eyes narrowed. There had been a flicker of something by the fireplace. "Come out" Severus called, holding his wand in front of him, ready to attack.

"What fear you install." An unknown voice replied in a steady tone, though there was a faint hint of amusement.

"What a coward that continues to hide after he has been found." Severus answered, his dark eyes glancing around as he tried to find the mysterious man.

"I have done it so long, it is strange to do anything else." The voice answered. Severus did not reply as he considered what that statement meant.

"I do not recognize you as a Hogwarts ghost."

There was a small chuckle. "There are very few who have seen me, yet I have seen much." A pause. "Including you, Severus Snape."

He flinched. "How do you know me?" He growled. He did not like being bested.

Another flicker appeared, this time near one of the couches. Casually Severus took a step forward.

"I will revel myself to you before you hurt yourself trying." There was mirth in his voice and Severus guessed he was smirking.

The man began to appear not far away from Severus. It started as silvery wisps circled around one spot, before they became more compact and gave way to features. The man looked like he was in his late thirties; his silver hair was a bit longer then Severus' and tied back. He had a handsome face that-Severus realized with eerie comparison- looked a lot like a young Tom Riddle he had seen in a pensive. He wore thick robes that came below his ankles and boots were just visible underneath. Except that he was completely silver, he looked almost like he could be alive. He wasn't see-through. Severus pointed his wand at the man's chest.

"Who are you?" He glared at the man, who smirked again and folded his arms across his chest.

"That is irrelevant."

"Like Hell it is." Severus said, taking a step forward.

The man raised a silver eyebrow. "You can not hurt me Severus." Severus continued to glare. "I actually do not know if spells affect me, we never tested that theory out." _Us?_ "Of course I would never let you find out." He added. "Because you are no match for me."

"Would you like to test that theory?" Severus hissed.

The stranger raised his eyebrow again. "Not at all, that would be completely unfair." Nonchalantly he turned around (his robes flaring out as he did so) and walked over to the couch and then collapsed onto it. Severus had to admire that the man could simply turn his back to a known killer with a wand pointed at his chest. He turned his head to face Severus again, resting a silver arm on the back of the couch. "Would you like to join me?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "No."

The eyebrow was raised again. "You came here to think, did you not? To wallow in the self pity for crimes you have committed; to try and forget the memories of your past? My boy, you need someone to talk to. Thinking of what happened will not help, you need to accept what happened, and who better to help then a complete stranger?" He gave a grin that almost reminded Severus of Lupin.

"I do not wish to speak to anyone, least of all you."

"You are quite paranoid, Severus." The man remarked lightly. "You have nothing to fear. I am simply an old man who wishes to talk."

"Old?" Severus asked. Dumbledore had been _old_, this man was in his thirties, why, he was younger then Severus!

"But of course, I was over 100 when I died- I simply choose to appear younger."

"Oh."

"Sit down Severus, before I am forced to make you." The man's tone was light, but yet Severus had little doubt in his mind that the man was joking. Used to following orders, Severus obeyed, though he made sure to sit as far away as possible on the couch from the strange man. "Good, now tell me your problem." Once again, his cheerful tone was somehow forceful.

"No." Severus glared at him continuously. "You have not right to demand to know my problems!" He hissed "I don't know why you think you do."

"What are you afraid of?" The man's tone was…regretful? Sad?

Severus head bent down at this, emotions he did not care for appearing. "Why would you care? I am the greasy git Severus Snape-the horrible potions professor that make the students cower." He said; his voice soft. His wand was clutched in his hand still, but it no longer pointed at the man.

The man chuckled. "Children can be cruel, I seem to remember you were not treated very well during your school days."

"I daresay that would be an understatement." Severus muttered. "Attempted murder does not quite fit in the 'not treated well' category."

"God—A good friend of mine swears that was an accident." _God?_ Severus thought. What was the man going to say before he apparently thought better of it? "That; however, is not the reason you are here, I am sure."

"Not as far as I would've hoped." Murder. Murder he did not want to complete; yet did for the sake of the cause. He sneered. Some cause, Dumbledore!

"Severus?"

"Dumbledore" He murmured in response. "I killed Dumbledore."

"Yes-I heard about that." The man said calmly. "Happened in one of the towers, did it not?" Severus gave a stiff nod. "I never liked him much, though my fore-mentioned friend was fond of him. You obviously are not happy about it, then why did you do it?"

"He told me to." Severus did not want to talk about this…no one could know. Hadn't Albus said to make sure no one knew until the time was right?

So why was he telling this man?

"He sacrificed himself for another, did he not?" His tone changed again, but Severus could not place the emotion.

For a kid. "Yes."

The man closed his eyes, as if remembering some time long forgotten. "It takes a wonderful person to sacrifice themselves for another." A red head involuntarily entered his mind, but he shook it from his mind.

"Indeed." He sneered.

"I have known horrible pain and suffering of having someone die to save my life." There was no mistaking the pain in the man's voice. Severus was not sure what to say to that. "I am sure Dumbledore knew what he was doing. He jeopardized your already fickle reputation, which left you running away from everything."

"Not for long." Severus muttered. The man raised an eyebrow. "The ministry has been infiltrated by the Dark Lord, in a matter of time I won't be on the run anymore as the Dark Lord thinks I am his loyal servant."

"Are you?"

Severus remained silent.

"There was a time in my life that I did something similar to what you did." Severus knew a story was coming, and he was not disappointed. "I lied and forced everyone I cared about to hate me." He paused for a second. "I was protecting them from what would currently lead to their deaths, not that they knew it. Many years later I returned to them. I had no where to go, so I returned. When I explained what I had done they were…not happy with me. They would have helped if I had given them the chance too."

"You believed it was the right thing to do."

"That is true. I destroyed the little that I had for what I thought was better in the end. They clearly had another opinion. Which one is right?"

"Well-it depends." Severus felt like he was trying to get into Ravenclaw. "I suppose it could be either."

"Choose."

"What you did."

"So what I did was right?"

"Yes."

"If you ask everyone, will they agree?"

"Obviously not."

"Correct."

"What?" That made no sense to Severus…

"Sometimes there are no right answers."

"There has to be, it's just not obvious at the time."

"Dumbledore was doing what he thought was right. Weather or not you agree with it, you aided him, though you disagreed."

Severus nodded. "I saw no better option."

"Neither did I."

"What I did was unforgivable."

"Then why did you do it?"

"It seemed like the right thing to do." Severus muttered, seeing the point.

"Do not blame yourself, Severus, for what you did. We must all make sacrifices at some point in our life. Your may have been a large one, but I am confident that it will come back with a much better light behind it at some time."

"I doubt it."

The man's silver eyes sparkled for a second then he became suddenly serious. "Someone is in the castle." His eyes narrowed. At these words Severus jumped up, his wand pointed at the door. "No-no, not down here" He said, waving his arm through the air. "Upstairs."

"Who is it?" Severus asked; his wand still at the ready. In the back of his mind, he reflected on how he was suddenly trusting a man who he didn't even know his name.

"I don't know, but I do know that they will not take kindly to the fact that you are here. I will take you out so no one will see you if you like."

"Oh?" Severus all but hissed. "And then kill me, I'm sure."

The man raised his eyebrow again. "I have no intentions of hurting you Severus, although you seem to have a hard time accepting that."

Severus sneered in response. "I do not want to hide, whoever it is I'm sure I can handle it."

"Feeling better I see." Severus sent him one of his well-known death glares, but the man was not fazed in the least. "I will tell you that I do not advise confrontation. At present it is best to stay away."

Severus decided to ignore that statement. He headed toward that entrance with his wand, ready to leave and find whoever it was that was in Hogwarts.

"Severus!" The man said in alarm, rushing over and standing in front of the door. "Did I not warn you to stay put?"

"You have no control over me." Severus growled.

"Perhaps not, but I can control all that goes on within Hogwarts' walls." Apparently to prove his point, he moved aside. Severus confidently strode forward-only to run into the wall.

"What did you do!?" He shouted furiously, rubbing his nose.

The man smirked. "Getting my way."

"This is stupid, I am a Professor; you can't do this!"

"Even the Headmaster does not have the level of control that I hold."

"Right" Severus said angrily. "The only person with more control then the headmaster is-" Severus froze. "Well, no one that's alive does." He finished hastily.

The man's eyes held a very Dumbledore-like twinkle. "I don't think that was what you wanted to say."

"It doesn't matter what I was going to say." Severus looked at the man, his eyes trying to absorb everything they could based on his sudden insight. There were not portraits of the founders, and no descriptions of what they looked like. The only exception was Ravenclaw. There was a statue dedicated to her in the Ravenclaw common room, and her daughter lived in the castle under the title of the Gray Lady. Of Slytherin there were only rumors.

Was this the ghost of Salazar Slytherin?

Apparently noticing his intense gazing, the man bowed. "I do believe you've figured it out." _What!?_ "May I formally introduce myself: Lord Salazar Slytherin, founder of Hogwarts and creator of Slytherin House." Severus' jaw dropped. Slytherin held out his hand in greeting. "Go on then, it won't bother you." Severus raised his hand shakily and shook Slytherin's hand. It didn't feel like what ghosts usually felt like; it felt like a very cold human hand.

Slytherin grinned. "Bit of a surprise, eh?" Severus just continued to stare. "Now now Severus, is it that big of a deal?"

"You-you're-that's-" Severus stuttered. He fell silent, not wanting to sound more foolish then he already did.

"You are wondering how this is possible?" Severus nodded stiffly, still in shock. "Well the founders and I did not want to just leave Hogwarts, so Rowena (with Helga's help) created some very complex spells and charms that allowed part of our spirit to live on. We're very similar to ghosts, but we can do more then they can. They, for instance, can

not do magic, but we can. We can also choose who we want to see and hear us, where they can not."

He grimaced. "If my descendant was to discover us, he would certainly try to discover what we did, for this is a form of immortality."

"So you just…watch Hogwarts? Day after day?" Severus asked, regaining his voice.

"Mostly yes. If we so choose we offer counsel to the Headmaster or help students with trouble, though the students do not know who we are. Godric has spoken to Albus numerous times." Slytherin said, sensing the burning questions in Severus' mind. "He was quite pleased when that Potter boy found his sword, didn't shut up about it for days.

"I have only spoken to Dumbledore once, when he was accepted as Headmaster."

"Accepted as Headmaster?"

"Yes, every Headmaster or Headmistress meets with the four of us and we decide if he or she is fit to run Hogwarts. If we do not decide them worthy then the Gargoyle will not allow entrance."

"Like last year."

Slytherin wrinkled his nose up in disgust "That foul toad women, yes." Severus snorted. "We didn't meet with her, as her method of succession was incorrect, and Dumbledore was still the Headmaster."

"You really are Slytherin, aren't you?"

Slytherin nodded. "And I am here to help you."

Severus opened his mouth to speak, but his breath was caught in his throat as his left arm started to burn.

Slytherin's eyes narrowed. "That dark mark, correct? The one my descendant is using?" Severus nodded, grasping his arm tightly. "Know, Severus, that I do not approve of what he is doing. I have my reasons for not wanting muggle-borns in this school, and they have nothing to do with 'inferior blood'." He sneered, suddenly looking more like Voldemort. "I do not even hold those beliefs anymore."

"I must-"

"Yes, yes. I suppose you do. But first, let me help you." He waved his hand over Severus' dark mark, and the pain suddenly went away except for a slight tingling. It was long-speculated that the founders could do wandless magic, though it was never able to be proven. "Now you may Apparite away."

"I must leave the grounds first."

"No, I will allow you to Apparite within Hogwarts, though just this once."

Severus inclined his head to the founder and disappeared.

…OoOoO…

Though Severus did not understand it, he accepted that Albus was dead. He had expected that it would take a long time before he could fully forgive himself for what he had done, weather he had been told to or not. He was glad that he had decided to return to Hogwarts, and he suspected that Slytherin was the reason he had been allowed in. The Slytherin founder was not what he had expected, though the founder had been in Hogwarts for over a thousand years so he probably changed. Severus had never expected that a Slytherin's word would help so much.

…OoOoO…

Just a little one-shot I thought of a while go. I started it before DH came out, but didn't have time to finish it. But DH was a big help with Severus' character, so I'm glad I waited. I don't really like the ending though, but that's the way it turned out. It works, I suppose, and that's what counts.

I'm actually thinking of doing a sequel with Severus' time as a Headmaster and Salazar being there, but I want to see what you guys think. It'd be a short fic, and I know I'm not very good about updating. (Though I will say that I updated MinF and I'm going to go back to my other fics after MinF is done.) I'm also writing a few other fics I haven't put up, dealing with Godric and Salazar. I like them both a lot, and love writing and reading about them.

So please let me know what you think!

(Check out Monkey Face too, a funny one-shot with Salazar and Godric!)


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